Let Her Eat Cake: White Chocolate Morello Cherry Cupcakes

Whilst raiding the depths of a friend's booze cupboard the other day, we came across some Cherry B. Cherry B! Who remembers that? Seriously, what is it? Who knows, but it's cherry-ish and boozy which is good enough for me. However, being lumbered with a few bottles, I started thinking what could be done to turn its dubious charms into something delicious.

Cue! White chocolate and cherry. You can't go wrong. These cute little beasts will provide a suitable use for any dodgy cherry flavoured liqueurs you might have hanging around. Left over cherries? Make our gluten-free roulade to go alongside them. Everyone's a winner! Plus, they're super-easy to whip up for a special Mother's Day treat.

White Chocolate Morello Cherry Cupcakes (Makes 12-14 small cakes)
Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 20-25 mins

You'll need:
For the syrup:

• 200g frozen morello cherries
• 25ml cherry liqueur / cherry brandy / kirsch / Cherry B (whaaa?)
• 25ml water

For the cakes:

• 200g butter
• 200g caster sugar
• 2 large free-range eggs
• 200g self-raising flour
• 50g white chocolate chips or finely chopped white chocolate
• 25ml milk
• 1/2 of cherry syrup (above)

For the topping:

• 200g cream cheese
• 2 heaped tbsp icing sugar
• Remaining syrup
• White chocolate, to decorate

Make it!

The syrup:

1. Place the cherries, syrup and water in a small saucepan and simmer over a medium heat for around 10 minutes until reduced and sticky. Set aside to cool.

The cakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Lightly grease paper cupcake cases and place in a cupcake tin.
2. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat the eggs in one at a time, with a teaspoonful of flour to stop the mixture from splitting.
4. Sift the flour into the mixture gradually, folding in gently with a metal spoon.
5. Stir in the white chocolate and the milk.
6. Swirl half of the syrup mixture through the batter, retaining the rest for later.
7. Dollop into the paper cases, filling them 2/3 full.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and risen and a skewer comes out clean.
9. Place on a wire rack to cool. 

For the topping:

1. Mix together the cream cheese and icing sugar in a bowl; you might want to add a little more sugar to taste.
2. When the cupcakes are completely cool, take a sharp knife and cut a small inverted cone shape out of the top of the cake.
3. Fill a piping bag with the cream cheese and pipe into the cupcakes, swirling on top in a circle.
4. Drizzle with syrupy cherries and any leftover white chocolate.